


Priest. Witch. Stranger. Child.

by ChateauxWithChattox (Lurlur)



Category: Slow Show - mia_ugly
Genre: Actually more for the death in childbirth, Betrayal, Childbirth, Death in Childbirth, Found Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Historical Fantasy, Julia hates socks, Magic, Magical Accidents, OCs keep turning up and demanding names, Orphans, Parenting with Julia Chattox, Prophecy, Rated T for Tense Relationships, Sad, There's a lot of walking too, Top tip: don't trip balls whilst responsible for an infant, Warlock the TV Show (Slow Show), magical baby, mia_ugly's Slow Show Universe, taking real liberties with this now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22246258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurlur/pseuds/ChateauxWithChattox
Summary: On a night when stars do fall,A birth returns powers untold.The babe born with face in caul,Turned away by blood run cold,Must a new kinship find.Descendent mine, be kind.Now with amazing art by Robynthemagpie! <3 Thank you!
Comments: 71
Kudos: 62
Collections: AJ’s personal faves, Ixnael’s Recommendations, Ixnael’s SFW corner, Slow Show Metaverse, Warlock fic





	1. Witch.

Frantic banging on the door roused Julia from the depths of sleep. Cursing a number of her life choices, she pulled back her blankets in one quick movement and let the cold air surround her. More fully awake, she made for the door just as the voice started.

“Mistress Chattox, please come quickly! My girl, Moira, she’s in a bad way.” The man at her door sounded scared and desperate.

With increased urgency, Julia threw a robe over her nightgown and pinned her cloak around her shoulders. As she opened the door, she picked up the leather bag that held her emergency supplies.

“I am here, Master Oswald. Take me to her and tell me all that has transpired,” Julia stepped out of her home and followed the man into the crisp, clear night.

“Thank ye,” the man said as he began hurrying towards his farmhouse, his long strides forcing Julia into an awkward run. “Moira started complaining of stomach and back pains around noon today. It’s only been getting worse all day. Now she hardly speaks, only screams in agonies.”

The Oswald farm was a little under a mile from Julia’s cottage and they made good time, even in the dark. She asked him as many questions as she could think of, keeping him talking to prevent him from thinking too deeply about what was ailing his daughter.

When Julia had last seen Moira Oswald at market no more than a month previous, she had suspected that something was amiss and determined to try and speak with her. Moira had avoided her attempts to approach with the tenacity of someone intent on keeping a secret. In all the years that they had been friends, Moira had never avoided speaking with Julia, not even when all the other children had been afraid of Julia and called her a witch.

The lamplight of the farmhouse came into view over a bluff. Julia cast her eyes up to the heavens as they hurried on, casting a silent plea for assistance into the universe, just in case. A shooting star crossed the sky in a brilliant streak, followed by another and another. Her hand landed on Oswald’s arm as she gasped.

“Look, the stars are falling.”

He stopped and looked up, the worry on his face easing.

“A good omen, I pray,” he said to himself more than Julia.

Hope could be as powerful as magic, Julia knew. She held her tongue and let herself into the cottage, too worried about Moira to care about decorum.

“Julia!” Moira called from the bed against the far wall, reaching her hand out.

She was drenched with sweat, her hair and nightgown sticking to her skin. A moment later, she curled around herself and cried out, clutching her stomach. Julia crossed the room in quick strides and put her bag on the floor beside the bed.

“Why didn’t you come to me sooner?” she asked, smoothing Moira’s damp hair back out of her face. “I could have helped.”

Moira shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“I couldn’t. He was going to marry me, he promised he would.”

“Who did?” Master Oswald’s voice was a dagger of ice, Julia hadn’t even noticed him following her into the house.

Moira paled and cowered, her arms wrapping more protectively around her belly. Julia looked between the pair, seeing Moira’s fear and her father’s anger. Stepping between them, she began rolling up the sleeves of her robe.

“Moira, I need you to lay back and try to relax,” she gave a reassuring smile as she spoke. “Good sir, I need privacy to work. Could I trouble you for some hot water?”

Charged with a task, the farmer momentarily forgot his anger and rushed to check the kettle hanging by the fire. Turning back to Moira, Julia gave a conspiratorial wink and lifted the blankets that covered her patient.

The mess of blood and fluid that stained the bed removed any possibility of doubt.

“Oh, Mo. Do you know how many months it’s been?”

“Eight months, two weeks,” Moira whispered in a voice laden with fear and shame. “Julia, will it be OK?”

“Of course it will, I’m not going to let anything happen to my oldest friend, am I?”

Moira relaxed and allowed Julia to work. She took the hot water and washed up to her elbows before checking the progress of Moira’s dilation and counting between contractions. It was coming on fast now, Julia couldn’t afford to be distracted at a critical moment which she impressed upon Mr Oswald with all the force of a witch not to be trifled with. He made an excuse about checking on the cattle and left the women alone.

About an hour after Julia arrived at the Oswald farm, Moira began pushing in earnest. She panted between her contractions and bore down when Julia instructed, screaming through each attempt. Between her knees, Julia spoke in encouraging tones and watched the progress of the crowning head. All at once, the head pushed through and the baby followed like a rag doll.

Julia caught the baby and turned it over in her arms. A thin membrane covered the face, a scrap of the sac that had sheltered the child. She wiped it off and folded it inside a clean rag, putting it to one side without knowing why. She cleaned off the baby, a boy, and handed him up to Moira whilst minding the umbilical cord.

“You have a son, Moira. You still need to pass the placenta but the hard part is done.”

Moira gazed at her child, her face full of love, joy, and weariness.

“Hello, Joshua. I love you so much,” her voice was soft and sweet if a little hoarse.

Julia’s heart bloomed with affection for her friend and the new life they had brought into the world on this late summer night.

The simple beauty of this moment was short-lived. Oswald appeared to have decided that he had waited long enough and stormed back into the cottage with a face like thunder.

“Father, you have a grandson,” Moira appeared oblivious to the dark mood that followed her father into the house.

“And who put that bastard in you? Who spoiled you with pretty words and got between your legs? Like I never taught you better, like I never warned you,” he yelled, red in the face.

In Moira’s arms, little Joshua began to wail. Julia stood to confront Oswald, not caring that he was taller, stronger, and heavier by far. Before she could open her mouth to put him in his place, he lunged for the baby as if to pull him away. Time slowed to a crawl.

“No!” Julia screamed, fearing for both mother and baby.

Moira turned away from her father, curling her body around her child to protect him.

A bolt of lightning arced from the bed to Oswald’s chest, throwing him back across the room.

The dust settled, the smell of ozone and singed cloth lingering in the air as Julia caught her breath. She reached out to touch Moira on the shoulder and felt her sob.

“Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

Moira uncurled, rolling onto her back to look Julia in the eye. She looked scared and tired but so fierce.

“I’m not hurt. Thank you for protecting us.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Julia said, confused.

Torn between the increasing number of patients she should tend to, Julia gave Moira’s shoulder a gentle squeeze and hurried over to where her father lay. His pulse beat strong at his throat although he didn’t rouse when she shook him. Julia rolled him onto his side and tipped his head back in case he vomited before waking. He would have a sore head and a burn on his chest, but there was no reason to think that he wouldn’t recover.

“Julia?” Moira called, worried and weak. “I’m bleeding a lot.”

Rushing back to her friend, Julia saw a pool of dark blood growing on the pale sheets. The placenta had ruptured, leaving some attached inside and now it was bleeding freely. Panic froze Julia for a beat, she knew the reality too well. Moira needed her, she snapped back into action and snatched up her bag from the floor. The organised state of her supplies had the packet she needed in her hand almost immediately. Untying the cord, Julia dumped half of the packet into her palm.

“Open your mouth,” she instructed and Moira obeyed. She tipped the medicine into Moira’s mouth. “Chew and swallow as fast as you can.”

She left Moira chewing the dry herb mix and went to fetch a cup. The last half of the packet went into the cup and was covered in hot water, steeping for as long as Julia could stand to wait. She thrust it into Moira’s hand.

“Drink this straight down. I know it’s hot.”

Moira could barely hold the cup, her hand was shaking with the effort and her skin was cool, clammy, and pale. Julia helped bring the cup to her lips, urging her to drink. Once the cup was drained, Julia eased Moira into lying flat on the bed, Joshua still cradled against her chest. A bundle of blankets under her hips to elevate the site of the bleeding did little besides reassuring Julia that she had done everything she knew how. She knelt beside Moira’s bedside and tried not to let the fear show on her face.

“You’ll be all right, Mo. It’s going to be all right.” Julia blinked back tears.

“You’ve always been an awful liar, Julia Chattox,” Moira smiled weakly.

“I know. Remember when Old Mrs Potts caught us stealing her apples?” Julia held Moira’s hand.

“You tried to tell her that they were rocks we found,” Moira smiles at the memory. “Julia, I’m not going to make it, am I?”

Julia looked away, burying her face in the crook of her elbow and willing her tears to stop falling. Moira’s voice was so quiet, her hand so cold. It wouldn’t be much longer.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what more to do.”

Moira smiled, too weak now to lift her head.

“You did what you could, I know you did. You’d never let anything happen to me. Please, can I ask one more favour?”

“Anything, Mo, anything,” Julia’s tears began to fall in earnest, suppressed sobs shaking her shoulders.

“Take Joshua, let me kiss him and see him, but take him and keep him safe? Love him as I would? Look after him like you have looked after me our whole lives?”

Julia cried out a wordless choked noise of grief and reached out to hold her friend, muttering apologies and promises into her hair. Finally, she sat back and lifted Joshua in her arms. Moira raised one hand from her chest to touch his cheek. Julia held him close enough for Moira’s lips to touch and for her to whisper her love to him.

“I will tell him of you every day, sweet Mo. He will never doubt your love,” Julia promised, tears spilling onto Moira’s hair where she pressed her kisses.

With a quiet sigh, Moira smiled and died.

Julia held Joshua close to her chest, rocking him and crying for many long minutes. A low groan from the man on the ground behind her shook Julia into action. She wrapped Joshua in a blanket and set him in a large basket. Carefully, respectfully, Julia laid Moira out on the bed and covered her with a clean blanket. Letting the last of her tears fall, Julia kissed her friend’s forehead and swept her golden hair back onto the pillow.

With her bag in one hand and Joshua’s basket in the other, Julia set off into the night and didn’t stop until she reached her cottage.


	2. Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's so special about this kid, anyway?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, Bucky! I love you!

Julia had limited experience with children. As an only child and with no young cousins around to learn from, Julia’s only knowledge was of the mechanics of pregnancy and childbirth. She could treat the common ailments of babies and children as well as any healer in the country, she knew of poultices and brews to aid lactation and soothe a mother’s breast, but the details of keeping a baby alive and healthy were mysteries to her.

Joshua fussed in the basket, making small mewling sounds as Julia carried him over the threshold of her home. Hushing him in a soft voice, Julia began the serious business of panicking.

Did this count as kidnapping? What was she going to do with a  _ baby _ of all things? What had she been thinking, taking Joshua away from his home?

The memory of Oswald’s anger and that sudden burst of energy that had thrown him across the room jumped to the front of Julia’s mind. Dimly, another memory began to surface and nudge at her. Knowing better than to try and force it, Julia turned her mind towards more pressing matters and trusted that the right answer would present itself to her when it was time.

A bucket of fresh milk from the neighbouring farm stood on Julia’s kitchen table, a clean cheesecloth draped over the top to keep bugs out. It must be better than starving, she decided, and pulled back the cloth.

Dipping a cup into the milk, Julia pondered how best to feed it to a newborn infant. She simply didn’t have anything that would be suitable for him to suckle from. Cautiously, she folded the cheesecloth into a point and picked up Joshua to hold him in her arm. The loose weave of the cloth absorbed milk readily and, when she touched it to Joshua’s lips, he was able to suckle the milk from it.

Julia breathed a sigh of relief and let some of the tension leave her body. The biggest hurdle had been cleared and Joshua wasn’t going to starve before she could work out their next step. From the crook of her arm, Joshua looked up at her with wide, dark eyes as he sucked milk from her hand.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Julia promised in a quiet voice. “You will always be safe with me.”

He had so much of Moira in his face that Julia had to look away and gather herself, taking the time to soak the cloth in the cup of milk again. He drank his fill and began to close his eyes in long blinks. Grateful, Julia swaddled him tightly in a linen sheet and laid him back in the basket. It was a chilly night so she banked the fire and set him near enough to benefit from the warmth. He was asleep before the fresh logs had caught.

There was no way that Julia could stay in the village. She knew that much. Her old mentor would shelter them and help her make a plan for a few days at least, she would just need to get there without being stopped on the way. Better to leave before sunrise, then.

Julia went to pull out her knapsack when her arm brushed against something in the pocket of her cloak. Reaching in, her fingers closed around a scrap of fabric that had escaped her memory.

She unfolded the material, revealing the caul that had been caught on Joshua’s face when he was born. Forgetting her task for a moment, Julia took the little bundle to her fireplace and rummaged amongst the jars and pots on the mantelpiece until she found what she was looking for. She took a pinch of the dry powder from the jar and cast it into the fire where it crackled and sparked green. As soon as the fire settled, Julia sat cross-legged before it and tossed the fabric bundle into the fire.

Her breathing was measured and even, just as she’d been taught. Her mind was calm and as blank as she could make it. The fire danced before her, gradually resolving into recognisable shapes. A shiver ran through Julia that started with her scalp and crept down the length of her spine. From the back of her mind, a familiar voice began to chant.

_ On a night when stars do fall, _

_ A birth returns powers untold. _

_ The babe born with face in caul, _

_ Turned away by blood run cold, _

_ Must a new kinship find. _

_ Descendent mine, be kind. _

She is a little girl, sitting with her great-grandmother in a shepherd’s hut on the hill. The fire is warm on her skin and she is holding a great mass of fleece as her granny shows her how to card it before spinning. Julia is in awe of the process, it looks like magic. As Granny works, she tells Julia a story and it’s the best kind of story because Julia is in it. The mountain of fleece is slowly transformed into smooth batting as Granny tells Julia about a magical child who will bring back true power. It’s a story that Julia hears every time that she visits Granny but she loves it all the same. The child will have a difficult start in life, Granny says, but Julia can help. She must always look out for the signs of the child’s arrival and she must tell her descendants the story. Julia nods, as solemn as only young children can be. Together, as Granny gathers up the batting ready for spinning, they chant the rhyme that Julia has known for as long as she’s had memories.

_ On a night when stars do fall, _

_ A birth returns powers untold. _

_ The babe born with face in caul, _

_ Turned away by blood run cold, _

_ Must a new kinship find. _

_ Descendent mine, be kind. _

Joshua’s cries roused Julia from her trance. The fire had burned down to embers and Julia struggled to catch her breath. Deep in her chest where her lungs should be there was a tight fist. Held in its thin fingers were pain, power, danger, and love. Julia had never had such a clear scrying vision and all she could do was look dumbly at Joshua in his basket and question everything she’d ever known.

With a new urgency, Julia gathered up her most important belongings, a few jars from above the fireplace, a handful of her carefully stored herb packets, her book, a knife, and a change of clothes, and packed them carefully into her knapsack. She dressed in her usual outfit and inspected her boots for wear, hoping they would get her through the road ahead.

Joshua kept crying as she packed, it was only her single-mindedness that kept her on task. Once she was content with her packing, Julia scooped Joshua up and removed his swaddling. She cleaned him and found a fresh sheet to wrap him in again before offering him more milk. He quieted in her arms, suckling from the milk-soaked cloth that she offered.

“ Is it really you? Are you the fairytale child?” Julia whispered, wishing that he could answer.

The signs were all there, Julia hadn’t even been looking but she’d seen them all the same. Now she couldn’t ignore them and the promises she’d made to Moira and Joshua became all the more important, bound by her ancestral obligations.

By the time that Julia was ready to leave, the first smudges of dawn had appeared on the horizon. Joshua was a warm weight against her chest, held in a sling and covered by her travelling cloak. With a deep breath and a firm resolve, Julia left her home and headed west, not knowing if she might ever see it again.

She was barely past the small barn where her chickens and goats spent their nights when she heard yelling from the direction of her cottage. There was a great pounding and then a cracking, splintering noise as her front door was broken. Oswald’s voice carried over the still air, cursing Julia for evading him.

The tree line was just a couple of dozen yards ahead, Julia would be able to hide them in the forest, but making a break for it with Oswald so close was a larger risk than she liked.

“ JULIA CHATTOX!” Oswald cried from within her home. “BRING THAT BASTARD BACK HERE AND LET ME DEAL WITH IT!”

She didn’t need to hear any more. Cradling Joshua closer to her, Julia bent low and made a dash for the trees. A silent prayer formed on her lips, begging for Oswald to look the other way as she ran. The darkness of the trees enveloped her just before she heard the yell of impotent rage from her cottage. She looked back and saw Oswald storm out into her herb garden, kicking at the plants in his anger. He turned towards the village and headed off, away from where Julia hid with her heart pounding in her ears.

Julia walked as briskly as she could, adjusting the weight of her pack as often as she needed and trying to keep Joshua quiet even when they appeared to be utterly alone. The longer that she could pass herself off as a lone traveller, the better.

In the heat of noon, Julia found a secluded clearing with a small stream. She let Joshua down and unwrapped his swaddling. He was so quiet and still that she constantly worried that she had suffocated him but as soon as the swaddling was off, he stretched and squirmed in all directions. It was such a relief that Julia couldn’t help but smile at him.

It wasn’t much, but Julia had managed to take one of her few stoppered bottles and fill it with milk before they had left. She fed Joshua as she had before, soaking a bit of cheesecloth for him to suckle from. He drank almost half the bottle and Julia knew that she would need to find more milk soon. His keeping quiet would only last as long as she could keep him supplied with milk, she was sure.

Leaving him to lie in the dappled sunlight, Julia shed her cloak and knelt beside the stream, rolling up her sleeves to plunge her hands into the cool, crisp water. She drank deeply from her cupped hands before bringing water up to cool the back of her neck and the top of her head. The sun had been baking her dark hair at every opportunity.

Refreshed, Julia managed to convince herself to wrap Joshua up once more and secure him in place. As she walked, her hand rested on his back, feeling for the beat of his heart and the gentle rise and fall of his breathing.

There were few travellers taking the forest paths, most were just seeking shelter from the August sun and would move back to the main tracks once the temperature began to drop again. Julia moved among them, avoiding conversation and taking more obscure paths to avoid as many people as possible. These delays meant that it was fully dark by the time she reached the small farmhouse on the edge of the woodland.

Cautiously, Julia knocked on the door, keeping the hood of her cloak over her hair and casting shadows across her face. The door was thrown open by a thin man, tall and severe looking. Behind him, a short and slender woman with black hair sat beside a fire. They both looked at Julia, waiting for her to explain her presence at their door.

With a cry of relief, Julia threw back her hood and faced them openly.

“ Julia?” The woman stood and approached, her face incredulous.

Julia nodded, not trusting her tongue even as tears pooled along her lashes.

“ Good God, Julia, come in at once.” The man stepped back and ushered her in.

He made to take her cloak and she flinched away so violently that he looked at his hands as if they’d been burned.

“ Sorry, Uncle. I’m a bit protective.” Julia unclasped her cloak and revealed Joshua asleep against her chest.

Her aunt gasped, reaching for her hands.

“ Come, catch us up on your life. You are safe here.”

Julia allowed herself to be guided into the house. Her aunt took Joshua and rocked him as Julia filled them in on recent events. Although her aunt had heard the same fairytale as a child, Julia was reluctant to share that particular detail of Joshua’s birth. She hoped that her promise to Moira would be enough to explain her appearance miles from home with another woman’s child strapped to her chest.

“ He was born last night?” Her aunt asked, a curious look on her face. Julia nodded. “He’s so strong for such a young one. John, would you go look in the trunk under the bed to see if we have any of Steven’s baby things left? Clothes and feeders would be most important.”

“ Of course, dear.” He stood and kissed his wife before leaving the room.

“ Julia, did you see the sky last night?”

“ I did.” Julia tried to give nothing away.

“ I’m sorry about your friend, I remember how close you were as children. I must ask, though, was there anything unusual about the birth?”

Julia froze, trapped between her obligation to Joshua and her desire to share this burden. Slowly, she nodded.

“ He was born en caul, Aunt.”

She drew in a soft gasp and looked at Joshua with a fresh expression of wonder.

“ I saw the stars falling last night and couldn’t get that daft rhyme out of my head. I wondered...” she trailed off.

Julia slumped in relief, the last of her worries disappearing into smoke.

“ I have to keep him safe, I have to get away from Moira’s father and anyone who might know me. This is so much responsibility but it’s mine and I have to do it. You understand, don’t you?” Julia spoke in low tones, mirroring her aunt’s secretive manner.

“ I do, Julia, I do. I’ll do anything I can to help you both. Did you scry?”

“ I did, Aunt. I was in Granny’s hut, helping her card fleece as she told me the story for the hundredth time. When I came out, I could feel all this potential power and love, but also danger and fear. I was convinced.”

John came back into the room, his arms full of colours and cloths.

“ I think this is most of it, Hannah. At least, of what looked useful.” He sat beside Julia and began shaking out the little garments.

A feeder rolled out of one and Julia almost cried.

“ Milk! He needs milk, it’s been hours!” Julia was frantic, cursing herself for failing so soon.

Hannah handed Joshua back and picked the feeder up from John’s lap.

“ Don’t you worry, dear. We’ll have this taken care of before you know it.” With that, she bustled out of the room.

When Hannah returned, she had a pan of water in one hand and a bowl of fresh milk in the other. The pan went over the fire to boil and clean the feeder within. Hannah showed Julia how to make sure it was properly clean and how to cool it down without damaging the glaze. Once it was cool enough to handle, Hannah poured milk into the top and offered the ceramic feeder to Julia.

“ Hold the spout to his mouth and tip it gently. He should still suck at it to make the milk flow.” Julia tried to angle the feeder as directed without spilling milk all over Joshua. “There you are, that’s it. See how he’s helping? What a sweet boy!”

Grateful, Julia sat and fed Joshua in comfort whilst her aunt and uncle sorted through baby gowns and caps. She would hate leaving in the morning, but she had no doubts left that coming here had been the right choice.

Hannah woke Julia before dawn and helped her pack supplies for Joshua, including a large flask of milk that should last a couple of days. Joshua was dressed and fed, ready to be swaddled under Julia’s cloak again, and looking much better for having some clothing of his own.

“ Aunt, I really can’t thank you enough. I’ll try to send word when I can.”

Hannah shook her head and took Julia’s hands.

“ Don’t risk it. If you need help, we’re here. Otherwise the less we know about your movements, the better for you both. The Inquisition has been moving closer in recent months.”

Julia nodded, fighting tears as she hugged her aunt goodbye.

Leaving under the cover of darkness was starting to become a habit, Julia mused as she headed away from the farmhouse. With another day of travelling ahead of her, she was grateful for the hospitality of her aunt and uncle, as brief as it had been.

Much of her path lay across the moors, exposed and windswept. The late summer heat fought against the bite of the wind to drive Julia between chills and sweltering discomfort. Joshua was the only constant, a warm presence against her chest. She fed him sheltered by great boulders and gorse bushes alike.

Her destination stood on the horizon for a long time before she reached it, a low hut of grey stone and thatch. When the sun got low behind it, Julia could see the welcoming glow of candlelight at the windows and the thin ribbon of smoke from the chimney.

Finally, she reached the hut and adjusted her cloak about Joshua before knocking on the door.

“ Julia, let yourself in before that babe catches his death.” A rough voice called out from within.

Agnes was sat on a three-legged stool by the fire, chopping vegetables into a tub by her feet. She didn’t look up when Julia entered, something that Julia had adjusted to a long time ago, back when she had apprenticed to Agnes.

Dumping her pack by the door, Julia stretched her shoulders and groaned.

“ Sorry to bring this to your door, Agnes. I didn’t know who else would be able to help.” Julia offered by way of explanation.

“ Aye, of course. Well, let’s see him then?” Agnes dropped the parsnip and her knife into the tub and looked up for the first time.

Julia loosened the sling holding Joshua and brought him closer. Agnes’s eyes didn’t follow her, and finally, Julia saw it.

“ Agnes, are you blind?”

“ Only my eyes, didn’t need them to know you were bringing this little’un to me, did I?”

There was no way to argue with that, Julia knew. She held Joshua out to Agnes, supporting his head until Agnes had hold of him.

“ Oh, you’re a special one, aren’t you? Lucky thing to have such a fierce protector already. And you’ll look after her, won’t you?” Agnes muttered to Joshua, rocking him gently as she trailed off.

“ Can you help us?” Julia asked after a few moments of silence had passed.

Agnes looked up, away from Julia and into a dark corner of the hut. Whatever she was sensing, she didn’t communicate it.

“ You’ve got yourself in a real pickle now, m’girl. I’ll help such as I can but magic such as mine is going to be more burden than boon. Stay with me for a day or two but no more, I’ll teach you what I can and then send you onwards.” Agnes paused and looked thoughtful. “I’ve a brother not far from here. He’ll be more help.”

Julia’s heart sang; coming to Agnes had been a gamble but it looked like it would pay off. After all her fears and doubts, Julia hadn’t let Joshua down yet.


	3. Stranger

Agnes’ version of “not far” was still at least 4 days travel by foot, perhaps more with an infant in tow. Worse still, Julia had to use the main roads instead of hiding on the woodland paths. She was travelling to places she had never been before, back roads and conveniently concealed routes were more likely to get her lost and disorientated.

The two nights spent with Agnes had been invaluable. Julia had been able to replenish her supplies as well as take better stock of what she had actually grabbed in her mad rush out of the house. Agnes had insisted on adding to Julia’s collection of infusions and dried medicines until she felt that there was no ailment known to humanity that she wouldn’t be prepared for.

Various protection charms, amulets, and wards all found their way into Julia’s pack whenever her back was turned. This was on top of Agnes drilling Julia on all manner of chants and runes that she might need on her journey.

Julia was grateful for it all, knowing that the challenges ahead were far greater than those she had already overcome. She was even grateful for the socks that Agnes had forced into her hands.

The road was empty for most of the first day of travel. Julia kept Joshua slung across her chest as she walked but, whenever they were alone, she spoke to him. She spoke of Moira most of all, telling him about their adventures as children, like the time they had tried to climb onto the church roof and got stuck, or when Moira had dared Julia to get in the pen with Mr Stevens’ bull and then burst into tears when Julia had done it. She told him about how Moira always knew where to find the best blackberries, and how she had a knack with even the most stubborn sheep when it came time for shearing. In these small ways, Julia kept Moira fresh in her memory, walking with her just out of reach.

As Agnes had said, Julia arrived in a small market town just before noon on the second day after leaving the little house on the moors. The square was a bustling mass of people, perfect for passing through unseen and unremarkable. She looked for a likely merchant amongst the stallholders, absently patting Joshua on the back as he fussed under her cloak.

“ Ah, good sir!” Julia called upon finding the stall she wanted. “Do you barter?”

The red-faced man scratched his neck with coarse fingers and looked Julia up and down before answering.

“ Aye, if the quality is high enough.”

Julia smiled sweetly and pulled a pair of socks from her bag.

“ Brand new, fine knit, warm, socks. For a flask of your fresh milk.”

The man leaned closer, looming over the table of his stall until his odour made Julia’s eyes water. opened his mouth to reply, and went very pale. Julia’s smile widened and showed more of her teeth as the man backed away from the point of her dagger.

“ Socks.” Julia enunciated clearly.

He nodded and swallowed very slowly, taking the flask that Julia offered. She didn’t put the blade away until he had turned to fill her flask from the urn behind him.

Topped up with fresh milk and relieved of one pair of superfluous socks, Julia slipped out of the flow of foot traffic around the square and found her way to an inn to see to Joshua’s needs. The landlady seemed kind and even offered to boil Joshua’s feeder when she saw Julia hesitating to use it.

For an hour or so, it was pleasant to get the weight off her feet, sit in a comfortable chair and just feed Joshua without worrying about who might find them. Julia reckoned that they were far enough from home now that the risk was low, if not non-existent. Relaxing was a luxury that Julia hadn’t allowed herself since Oswald had pounded on her door the night that Joshua came into the world.

Leaving her thanks and a few pennies with the landlady, Julia left the inn and decided to take a look at the other stalls before heading out of town and continuing on her way.

Most of the market was taken up with farm produce: vegetables, eggs, cheeses, preserves and such. Nothing that Julia needed or could justify spending her limited funds on. One prominent corner of the market was taken up with a brightly coloured stand where a brightly coloured man held the attention of a decent-sized crowd. Turning to try and examine what he was selling, Julia caught sight of a deeply unwelcome face.

Her blood turned to ice in her veins, her legs grew roots and fixed her to the spot, helpless to watch as Oswald and his brothers pushed through the crowd. From the looks on their faces and the way they were glancing about, this wouldn’t be a happy reunion. The breath froze in her lungs, fear stealing even her ability to ask for help.

Against her chest, Joshua stirred and pushed a tiny foot into her ribs. It was all she needed to remember herself, her promise, her duty. Warmth flooded back into her body and brought with it a plan for escape.

Quickly, but not so quickly as to draw attention, Julia turned away from the men and merged into the crowd watching the salesman performing his pitch. Without shoving, she wormed her way to the front and looked up at the man currently extolling the virtues of his health tonic.

“ My sister says you sold ‘er some o’ this tonic an’ all it did was give ‘er the trots.” A barrel-chested man squares up to the salesman, giving Julia room to slip past so she was right next to the stall.

“ My good man, that’s all part of the beauty of this particular formula!” The salesman’s grin didn’t waver. “It must first flush out any sickness or ill humour already taking hold. Your sister was lucky to have got a bottle when she did, from the sounds of it. Who knows what manner of nastiness might have afflicted her otherwise.” He looked pensive, slipping his thin arm around the large man’s shoulders. “In thanks for your excellent testimony on the effectiveness of this marvellous tonic, I must insist on giving you a bottle for free!”

The man blustered for a moment, unsure whether or not to take the tonic. As he decided to accept the gift, Julia saw the salesman cut the man’s coin purse from his belt. He palmed it and it vanished too quickly for Julia to follow, she was impressed at the skill and appalled at the brazenness. She willed someone around her to notice so that she wouldn’t have to risk drawing attention.

“ There! The girl by that charlatan!” A voice called out from behind her.

Julia froze, not in fear this time, but preparation. Turning or running would surely have given her away.

“ Julia Chattox! Girl! You got something o’ mine and I want it back!”

People around her were starting to jostle her, to see what the yelling was about, to work out which girl was being hailed. The salesman, in his brightly coloured coat and feather-topped hat, caught her eye and jerked his head behind him, indicating his stall.

In the next instant, everything seemed to explode into noise and action. The salesman dropped the coin purse he’d so recently lifted from his unwitting mark, the noise drew the attention of the large man who recognised the leather bag immediately. He turned a deeper shade of red and looked the spindly salesman in the eye.

The salesman was mid shrug when the heavy fist caught him in the jaw. He kicked out and swept the large man’s feet out from under him, taking them both down to the ground. People pushed around to watch, to throw in an opportunistic kick, or to pull the men apart. Oswald and his brothers were trapped on the other side of a wall of people.

Julia backed away and ducked behind the stall. A narrow alleyway led straight to a modest covered cart with a chestnut draught horse beside it, munching hay. A quiet cry from Joshua spurred her into a decision, needing to keep him as hidden as possible. She climbed into the cart and squeezed into a tight gap between crates.

Once certain that she wasn’t visible from the street, Julia released the sling holding Joshua to her chest and cradled him in her arms.

“ Oh, little one, please understand me. You need to be so, so quiet. If I have to hide you here, I promise you that I will come back for you. But please, Joshua, be silent.” Julia begged the infant, knowing that he couldn’t understand.

Regardless, she felt better for saying it, her breathing settled and her racing heart no longer pounded in her ears so loudly that those around her must be able to hear it. Holding Joshua close, Julia waited in the dark cart and hoped for the best. After a few minutes, the heavy footfalls of men approach the cart. Recognising the voices, Julia held her breath, stroking Joshua’s back gently to keep him soothed until she heard the words she was dreading.

“ Check that cart, bet the bitch would have holed up as soon as she could.”

Julia laid Joshua in a crate as quietly as possible, covering him with the straw that protected the bottles, and prepared to make a run for it if she was spotted.

One set of footsteps came closer.

The sudden clash of metal on stone rang out, it took Julia a moment to place the familiar sound, only recognising it as the stamping of a horseshoe on the road when it repeated. A loud whinny followed it, the warning of a displeased horse. Aching with curiosity, Julia bit her bottom lip to keep herself to peeking out at the commotion.

The man called to the horse, trying to calm it. Judging by the huffing and snorting, his attempts weren’t yielding the results he wanted. A solid, muted thump came next, followed by a smack and pained groans.

“ You alright?” Oswald’s voice sounded further away when he called back to his brother.

“ Fuck, no. Think that brute broke me ribs.”

Shuffling and yelps of pain, punctuated with colourful curses, seeped through the rough canvas of the cart. At a guess, Julia imagined that the horse had kicked the man across the street. She’d find a good apple for the horse before leaving, that was for sure.

“ There’s no way she’d have got past that bleeding lunatic of a horse. I’ve known softer guard dogs.” Julia heard the other Oswald brother state.

_ Please, please, please. _ Julia repeated like a kind of prayer until she finally heard the three men shuffle away, one whining and cursing with each step.

Deciding that she would wait until dark or the return of the salesman, whichever came first, before leaving the cart, Julia cleared the straw off Joshua, held him close again, and listened to the chiming of the church bells to mark the time.

Dusk was gathering when Julia was roused from a doze she didn’t realise she’d been having. People had been coming and going all afternoon but the streets had been quiet for the best part of an hour now. A man’s voice from outside the cart put her on edge, ready to run at a moment’s notice.

“ Good girl, Belle. Who’s a smart horse?” A soft nicker came in response. “Don’t bite my jacket! You’ll get your treat in a minute. I need to see if we still have guests.”

Julia braced herself, with Joshua quickly tucked into the sling and hidden under her cloak, she could shove past and out if she had to.

The flap at the end of the cart opened, letting the last of the late evening sun in. The colourful salesman stood to one side, very deliberately not blocking her in.

“ Greetings, lady. I am  _ very _ glad to see you well. Can I offer my assistance?” He held out his forearm, palm down, for Julia to steady herself as she climbed out of the cart. The stranger had made her feel safer in a few short minutes than anyone else had in days.

Even in the dying light of the day, Julia could see the bruises that bloomed across his cheeks, the redness of one eye, and the still bleeding split in his lip.

“ Sir, you have my thanks,” she studied his face as she spoke, knowing the pain he must be feeling at her expense. “I have some healing knowledge. Will you allow me to repay a kindness?”

The man seemed shocked, not offended but innocently taken aback at the offer, as though he was unaccustomed to such gestures.

“ I’d rather not spend any more time in this town than I must. I leave for Neath as soon as Belle here,” he nodded towards the chestnut mare, “will deign to accept her harness.”

Belle snorted in response as if she knew she was being spoken about. Julia couldn’t suppress her giggle.

“ I owe my thanks to Belle as well, I believe. She stopped me from being discovered with what sounded like a devastating kick.” Julia eyed the mare with caution, unsure of her temperament despite her gratitude.

“ Kicking strange men again, Belle? What bad manners you have!” The man chided the horse in an affectionate tone. “Is your baby well? No worse for the excitement?”

Instinctively, Julia cradled her chest, wrapping her arms around Joshua protectively.

“ He’s fine, yes.” When the man made no move towards her, nor any indication that he was insulted at her action, Julia allowed herself to relax, just a touch. “If you’ll allow it, I would come with you until we are a safe distance away and then treat your pains.”

The man smiled, showing teeth still red with blood.

“ That would be a kindness. I can’t lift this arm much right now,” he lifted the hand of his left arm, wincing with the movement, “and Belle has always refused to put her own harness on, so if you would be willing to assist, that would be gratefully received.”

Julia returned his smile and shrugged off her pack to rummage through it.

“ Chew this, don’t swallow it. It’ll help with the pain.” She offered him a chunk of willow bark from her supply.

“ Thank you, you are kindness personified,” he bowed low to her as he popped the bark into his mouth. “My name is Erasmus, it is my very great pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

She looked at him, seeing and  _ seeing _ as best she knew how, before making a decision.

“ I’m Julia. This,” she drew aside her cloak, “is Joshua.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Erasmus, OK? He's a stinky bastard man with a heart. 
> 
> Also, I love Belle. Suffolk Punches are the best horfs and that's just a fact. I don't make the rules.


	4. Priest

Having made it out of town without further complications, Erasmus drove the cart to a site he claimed to have camped at before. Soothing Julia’s unspoken concerns, he assured her of its privacy and offered to drop her on the road at any point if she preferred to travel alone.

Managing to feed Joshua as they travelled, Julia decided to accept the blessing of Erasmus’ kindness whilst keeping her knife close. Her feet were certainly grateful for the rest and every mile more that should save her boots, the better.

Belle, despite being more suited to heavy farm work than travel, had a pleasantly smooth gait and the repetitive beat of her hooves threatened to lull Julia into a restful sleep. Erasmus touched her elbow just before her head drooped, nudging her back into wakefulness, as they left the road and began following a rough track. A short distance from the road, they came across an area of flat ground covered in soft, green bracken. The remains of old campfires scarred the centre of the small clearing, good firewood was piled to one side.

“A few friends and I use this place when we pass through. We’ve got sites like it outside of most market towns.” Erasmus said as he gingerly lowered himself to the ground from the cart.

Julia hopped down on the other side, one arm holding Joshua in his sling to keep from jostling him too much.

“Tell me how to help?” Julia offered.

They worked together to set Belle up for the night, free of her harness and the cart, before Julia insisted on Erasmus taking a seat and letting her look over his injuries. She took a lantern from the cart and hung it from a low branch, casting light over her patient where he sat on an old stump.

With minimal grumbling, Erasmus let her help him remove his coat and tunic. She noted every wince and hiss of pain with sympathy, deciding to leave his undershirt on rather than try to have him raise his arms and cause more pain.

Working around the shirt, Julia could see that he was a mess of bruises and grazes. In the weak light, she could just about make out some yellowing, indicating older bruises.

“Erasmus, you’re in a state. Is this a common occurrence?” Julia asked, brisk and businesslike as she fetched her pack and a flask of water from the cart.

“Occupational hazard,” Erasmus said with a weak laugh that creased his face in pain.

Mentally thanking Agnes for her - probably literal - foresight, Julia set about making a poultice of cloves, witch hazel, and honey. As gently as she could, she smeared the mix over his bruises and held it in place with linen bandaging. To his credit, Erasmus bore it well, only making small yelps of complaint when she touched particularly sore spots.

For his face, Julia dabbed some witch hazel oil over the bruising and pressed her thumbs along his cheekbones to look for breaks, finding none. Lastly, she stood behind him and put her hands on his back, instructing him to take as deep a breath as he could manage. Happily, there were none of the wet, sucking sounds that would indicate a wound to the lung. 

“Alright, you’ll live. Let me give you a bit more willow for the pain. You’ll feel worse in the morning, but after that, it’ll be getting better until you forget it’s there.” Julia offered a gentle pat to his shoulder as she finished her ministrations.

“Julia, you are an actual angel sent from above,” Erasmus said with a certain hyperbole that she had begun to suspect was habitual.

“Hardly that. But it’s the least I can do. I owe you so much.”

Erasmus shifted, moving out of the light from the lantern so she could no longer see his face. She got the impression that he was uncomfortable accepting her gratitude despite having taken a vicious beating to help her escape. If nothing else, he was an odd man. Julia quickly decided to show her thanks through being useful, bidding him to relax while she started a fire. 

Once the flames are licking around some good-sized branches, offering both heat and light to the little campsite, Erasmus climbed into the back of his cart to pull out blankets and a little food. Julia fed Joshua and accepted the offer of a blanket lined crate to act as a cradle for him, trying not to react to the way Erasmus’ cheeks colour with delight. She sits beside the crate, watching Joshua sleep whilst wrapped up in her cloak and her thoughts.

“Where are you headed?” Erasmus asked, his voice quiet as if he feared disrupting the peace of the night.

“Neath, if you would believe it,” Julia responds, hardly accepting the coincidence herself.

Erasmus pulled a face, the precise meaning of which was lost in the flickering firelight.

“Care to keep an oddball charlatan company on the road?” he asked.

Julia looked up at him, wishing not for the first time that she had even a fraction of Agnes’ abilities. He had been kind, he had helped them even to his detriment, he hadn’t made her feel remotely unsafe, and, more than anything, he had been gentle with Joshua.

“Yes, alright,” Julia decided. “I’d like that.”

Erasmus grinned, his teeth bright in the gloom.

“You’ll have nothing to fear from here to Neath!”

For the most part, their journey was uneventful. For all that Julia’s heart tightened every time they passed an Inquisition patrol, they weren’t ever stopped for more than a moment. Erasmus easily passed himself off as the husband and father of his passengers, smoothly talking the guards into letting them pass with only the most cursory of glances. 

Julia had no reason to fear them, they couldn’t be looking for her or Joshua, but a lifetime of being taunted and called a witch had left a deep distrust of anyone claiming to be battling the forces of magic. It took more skill than she thought she possessed to act calm in the face of the white-clad patrols.

Hoofbeat by steady hoofbeat, Belle drew them closer to Neath and the safety that Julia hoped to find. Erasmus talked easily enough, filling their journey with stories and jokes yet never asking for Julia to fill in the blanks of his knowledge where she was concerned. By the time they arrived in Neath, he couldn’t have known much more than her name for which Julia was grateful.

“Erasmus, Belle, thank you for the company and a smooth journey. I can not ever express the depth of my gratitude,” Julia said as she alighted from the cart in the market square.

Once more, Erasmus made to hide his reaction to her thanks, almost cringing away from it. Pity tugged at her heart, seeing how unwilling he was to think well of himself.

“I hope our paths cross again. Be well, Julia.”

She took one last look at his face, noting the yellowing bruises on his face and the healing split of his lip with regret. Offering a smile, she reached up to fold his hand between hers.

“And you, Erasmus. Thank you.”

She watched him drive Belle on, the red chestnut of the horse almost a perfect match for his own flame of hair in the late afternoon light. Only once they were out of sight, did Julia turn towards the grey stone church and make her way inside.

The low sun shone through a large stained glass window, illuminating the inside of the church in a riot of colour. Julia’s footsteps sounded too loud, echoing off the walls no matter how softly she tried to tread. The place seemed deserted although candles were lit around the altar and along the aisle.

Having never felt particularly comfortable in churches, Julia wondered at what she was supposed to do. Agnes had only instructed her to find the church in Neath where her brother would be. She hadn’t allowed herself to consider what she would do if William wasn’t in the first and only place she knew to look. 

She approached the altar, hugging Joshua’s warm body to her chest as a comfort and casting her eyes about her in search of anyone who might help. There was a door to one side, off the aisle and just before the altar. In the absence of any other idea, Julia took tentative steps over to it and lifted her fist to knock.

The door swung open before she touched it, revealing a kindly looking man in priestly garb with a fluffy cloud of blond hair.

“Oh! Good evening to you.” The priest smiled at his unexpected guest. “How might I help you?”

Julia forgot herself for a moment; the warmth and depth of the man’s smile was hypnotic.

“I, uh. Sorry. I’m looking for William. Do you know where I might find him?” she said at last.

The man smiled even wider, his twinkling eyes almost disappearing under the curves of his cheeks.

“You’ve found him! What do you require of me?”

That the gentle, soft man before her was the brother of Agnes - who seemed to be hewn from the very granite of her moors - was unbelievable. The shock and doubt must have shown on her face because William chuckled and shook his head.

“Not what you were expecting? I’m sorry to disappoint, but you were looking for me in a church.”

The mild admonition snapped Julia back from her thoughts.

“I was sent by your sister, Agnes. She believed that you might be able to help me with a matter of great importance.” As she spoke, Julia shrugged off her pack and shoved her hand into its depths.

Her fingers closed around the small wooden box that Agnes had given her and she pulled it free, offering it to William in the hope that it would hold the significance that Agnes had promised it would.

The colour drained from his pink cheeks as he took the box, flipping up the lid with his thumb.

“I see. Well, that is certainly something.” William muttered to himself, staring into the box before snapping it shut and shoving it into the pocket of his robes and bringing his gaze back up to Julia. His smile faltered, losing much of its warmth. “Let us take this conversation somewhere more private, hmm?”

Reaching for the reassuring feel of her blade, Julia followed William from the church and across the graveyard to the rear. A small but neat cottage sat just beyond the wall, a thin ribbon of smoke rising from the chimney stack. It’s to this cottage that William lead her, stepping carefully through the undergrowth at the edge of the graveyard. The trust he had inspired in Julia with his kindly demeanour was quickly diminishing as he mumbled under his breath, clearly struggling with something. It stirred something uneasy in the pit of Julia’s stomach as William ushered her into the cottage, too distracted to offer to take her cloak.

He pointed her towards a chair near the fire, absently scratching his chin as he cast about the room, looking for something. 

“Please, can you help me?” Julia ventured when William failed to sit down.

He looked up from the small piles of papers that had appeared in his hands, looking lost. Julia’s hope shrivelled just a little more. Joshua was her responsibility, her duty, she had to be the only one he could rely on. Coming to this place had been a mistake. Joshua squirmed against her chest, his quiet cry barely audible over the crackling of the fire.

William jumped, startled by the soft noise. His eyes grew wide as he gave Julia a more thorough once-over, pausing at the ill-concealed lump of Joshua.

“The child is here?” William asked, breathless. “I never thought…” He trailed off, his hands raised halfway to reach for the infant.

Julia shifted back, keeping him just out of reach.

“What do you know of him?” Julia asked, one arm curling protectively around Joshua, soothing him.

“Oh, my dear. I don’t think this is a safe place for you.” He moved to the window, peering out as if someone might be watching them.

“Nowhere is safe, not once word spreads. Please, can you help us?” She tried once more, needing to at least gain new advice, a new destination.

If he offered her nothing, she would be lost. Miles from home, without a friend in the world, with the most important child in the world strapped to her chest, Julia was suddenly swamped by the vulnerability of her situation. She lifted her chin and met William’s eyes, pooling all of her strength into a display of capability. William sank into the chair opposite her, a long breath leaving his lungs.

“Oh, I fear you may not know the worst of it yet.” He looked tired and drawn, much older suddenly.

From his pocket, he pulled the small box that Julia had given him in the church and set it on the table between them. His fingers worried over the edges and surfaces of it, never still, always fidgeting.

“This has been in my family for generations. It symbolises a promise that we have been tasked with keeping. I never expected it to come up in my lifetime.” William chewed his bottom lip, pausing as if he didn’t know how to continue. “My sister and I are both without children. I thought that the superstition would die with us.”

“My family has something similar.” Julia offered a common ground, trying to encourage him to continue.

“May I- I’m sorry, I haven’t been kind to you, but may I see the child?” William asked, looking hopeful.

Slowly, Julia shrugged off her cloak and her pack, giving her room to loosen the sling in which she carried Joshua. He fussed a little as she lifted him out, cradling him gently in her arms and showing him to William.

“His name is Joshua. His mother was my best friend. I’m never going to let anything happen to him.” Julia put fire in her voice, leaving no room for doubt about the ferocity behind her words.

“He’s so small,” William whispered over him, extending one finger to brush his cheek. “So much importance in one tiny bundle.”

The tension in her chest began to uncurl, a tentative kind of warmth seeping in to take its place. If William and Agnes both knew of Joshua’s prophecy in roughly the same manner that Julia had, then she must be able to trust them. It seemed that the world had been waiting for Joshua’s arrival for a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha ha ha ha... There's gonna be a chapter 5. I have no chill.


	5. Together

Even with a belly full of hot food and a warm, dry place to rest, Julia struggled to find sleep. Her eyelids would grow heavy, fall closed and then spring open at the slightest sound. The tiny snatches of sleep that she managed to get were not restful, dogged by formless dreams of apprehension and unease. Resigned to her fate for the night, Julia lay awake and watched the first grey fingers of dawn creep across the square of sky visible through the little window.

That’s when she heard the movement from the other room, a careful shuffling sound of someone trying to be very quiet. Holding her breath, Julia concentrated on listening.

There was the squeak of a tight wooden drawer being opened, the soft sigh of parchment being spread open, and the  _ tink _ of a quill being tapped against the edge of an inkwell. A few moments passed before she heard William sigh and sneak out of the house.

Rolling on to her back, Julia began to run through the possible reasons that William might have for sneaking out of his own home. Perhaps he simply hadn’t wanted to wake her and the sounds of writing had been a note explaining his absence. They hadn’t discussed whether Julia could read or not. She tried not to panic, finding more reasonable explanations than reasons to worry. Agnes had told her to find William, she must have believed her brother to be trustworthy.

Still, something tugged at Julia’s gut- something that told her not to linger here, to move on as swiftly as she could. Her thoughts returned to Erasmus, wondering if he might still be in town and amenable to her company for a few more days.

In the makeshift crib beside her bed, Joshua began to stir and fuss. Julia dressed quickly, splashing cold water on her face to try and dismiss the evidence of a restless night, and pinning her hair up into something approaching respectability. She cleaned Joshua and changed his clothes before heading to the main room to prepare his milk.

The tension fled as soon as she saw the parchment on the table, pinned flat between a milk bottle and a bowl of coarsely ground oats.

_ Julia, I didn’t want to wake you. I’m at the church for the morning service. Please help yourself to anything you require. William. _

She read the note with a lightening heart, dismissing her earlier misgivings. William had even drawn a series of crude diagrams trying to express the same message without words. Reassured, Julia set about boiling water to sterilise Joshua’s feeder and warming some of the milk for her own porridge. Feeling more comfortable, she even cut a sliver off the chunk of honeycomb that William had in a jar and used it to sweeten her breakfast.

When William returned, Julia was tucked up in an armchair with Joshua in her lap, telling him a funny story about his mother. She fancied that he was paying attention to her, watching her face and maybe even smiling, but he was little more than a week old and wouldn’t be capable of any of that for some time. William caught her eye and waved for her to continue as he took a seat at the table and watched the pair.

“He seems to hang on to your every word,” William said once Julia had finished her story. He looked happy and relaxed, at complete odds with how Julia had been feeling since Joshua was born. “You’re very good with him.”

Julia smiled and ducked her head, kissing Joshua’s soft hair rather than acknowledge the compliment.

“What do you know of him?” she asked instead, once again trying to prise information out of the stuffy priest. “Of what he is, what he represents?”

William leaned on the table, steepling his fingers and pressing them to his lips for a moment. Julia began to regret asking in the silence that stretched between them and under William’s intense scrutiny. Even Joshua squirmed unhappily in her arms.

“Very little, I suppose,” William said, at last, his tone guarded. “I know that he’s meant to be very important and likely to require protection from many threats. Truthfully, I’m not sure how much I believe the prophecy. Magic and all that, it seems rather far-fetched to me.”

Julia nodded along, aware of the futility of trying to convince a man of the cloth of anything he hadn’t been taught in a seminary. She held her tongue and waited, knowing that a man like William would want to fill the silence.

“As it was told to me,” William began, somewhat sooner than she expected, “when I was a boy, there is a prophecy that a child will be born under certain auspices. This boy is supposed to herald the return of a power that has been locked away from humanity for centuries. My family was certain that this meant a kind of magic that ordinary people could use.”

At some point during his explanation, William had pulled the little box out of his pocket and was fiddling with it. Finally, he flipped the lid open and turned it to face Julia, pushing it across the table to her. With Joshua now asleep in her arms, she moved from the armchair to the other seat at the table and reached out to examine it.

The box fit easily in the palm of her hand, the sides carved with intricate vines and flowers. She was familiar with this, having carried the thing for days. The inside, however, was new to her. It resembled a tiny crib made up with yellowed linens and tiny ribbons. A small doll was tucked under the ancient blankets, wearing a miniature bonnet embroidered with faded stars. The doll’s simple face comprised of two black dots that stared up at Julia in a manner that made her feel vaguely uneasy. She tipped the box back, careful of the contents, and saw that the inside of the lid was painted with a night sky complete with shooting stars.

It was an odd thing for Agnes to have sent her brother, it seemed to be far older than a toy from their childhood and Julia could just about sense the lingering prickle of power that the box contained. Perplexed, she gently replaced it on the table and looked back up at William.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand the significance.”

William’s answering smile was soft and a little sad, though the reason was beyond Julia’s knowledge.

“Many generations ago, my ancestors made an oath to watch for the prophesied child and protect him when he arrived. They were given this trinket as a reminder, along with the puzzling instruction to wait for it to wake.” William ran a hand down his face as if not believing what he was about to say. “I have seen this doll hundreds of times in my life; Agnes used to write of it in her letters before her eyes got too bad. We used to watch it as children, hoping it might wake before us.”

“It’s a wooden doll, surely it cannot wake?” Julia had seen a great many odd things in her life, but ancient toys coming to life was beyond even the limits of her open mind.

“You don’t understand... I hardly know how to explain it myself!” William stood suddenly, pacing away from the table as much as the small room allowed. “Julia, you must believe me. Until yesterday, that doll never had eyes. When I lifted the lid yesterday,  _ I watched them open _ !”

He circled the table in quick, anxious footsteps while Julia struggled to find her tongue. After pausing once to lean over the table and snap the box shut, William didn’t stay still until Julia eventually begged him to sit down, for the sake of her sanity.

“So the doll opened its eyes? Surely that’s a  _ good  _ sign?” Julia ventured once William had dropped into the armchair.

He answered with a hollow chuckle and a haunted look.

“Have you ever had to question everything you’ve ever believed?” He asked, searching her face for understanding. “Have you ever had the foundation of your faith rattled so severely that it might never be sound again?”

Julia looked down at the helpless infant sleeping in her arms and made a decision. Adjusting Joshua’s weight carefully, she deposited him into William’s arms without warning. Panic and worry chased each other across William’s face before he settled into quiet awe, looking down at the boy he held. Julia stayed close, ready to take him back at the first sign of trouble, so she witnessed the moment that Joshua opened his eyes and seemed to fix his gaze on William’s face.

“Oh,” William breathed reverently, a small smile tugging at his lips. Without warning, his face fell into dismay. “Oh no. Oh no, what have I done? Forgive me, forgive me. I didn’t know.”

Julia left the house as quickly as she could, fighting back tears and struggling to pull on her pack whilst holding Joshua. In the doorway behind her, William kept up his litany of apologies whilst offering no assistance at all. In all her years of being the village outcast, the witch girl, the strange orphan, or any of the other labels that had been thrust upon her, Julia had never felt so betrayed.

“You were supposed to protect him! Agnes was counting on you!” Julia shot back over her shoulder as she put more distance between them.

He wasn’t following her, robbing his apologies of any conviction but giving Julia a little time to think. Time was still on her side, she could get away from Neath before anyone was looking for them. Perhaps if she could get far enough away, she could set up a new life and raise Joshua as her own. Prophecy or not, he was still just a child who needed to grow up safe and loved, Julia could provide that if only she could get far enough away from anyone who knew her.

Rounding the side of the church, she took a moment to catch her breath and resettle Joshua in his sling. He was starting to fuss, crying out in a sleepy whine as she tucked his legs into the blanket.

“Hush, sweetheart, please.” She begged him, wiping away the tears that clung to her lashes.

The square in front of the church was deserted and Julia had no idea which way to go. Her knowledge of geography was patchy at best, non-existent once she got away from the coast. Feeling utterly hopeless, alone, and distraught, she allowed herself a few minutes to fall apart. She slumped onto the edge of the water trough and cried until she couldn’t breathe.

As her sobbing quieted into sniffles and the occasional hiccough, Julia became aware of a presence at the far end of the trough. A blurry pair of legs were just visible, taking half steps towards her and then backing away.

“Julia?”

She looked up into Erasmus’ worried face and burst into tears all over again. This fresh flood didn’t end when he sat beside her, nor when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his chest, nor when he tried to ask her what had happened. It was only when Joshua cried out in a rare display of discontent that Julia managed to pull herself together enough to stem the flow of her tears.

“Is he hungry? Do you need milk? Are you hurt?” Erasmus babbled his questions as soon as she had wiped her eyes.

Thinking back, she realised that several hours had passed since Joshua’s last meal. She was failing him in so many ways already.

“I- I think he  _ is  _ hungry. I’m OK, but no, I don’t have any milk left.” Julia sniffled. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get everything sorted out. I have a room at the inn, I’m sure we can all fill our bellies there.” Erasmus stood and offered his elbow to Julia.

“You don’t need to do this, Erasmus. I’m already in your debt for the services you’ve rendered.” She took his arm anyway, letting him lead her to the small inn just off the square.

“Need has nothing to do with it. You’re my friend, Julia, I help my friends.” Erasmus said with an air of finality that told her how pointless it would be to argue.

He got her settled in a comfortable chair, just the right distance from the fireplace, before seeking out the landlord to see to their immediate needs. It was only once Julia had eaten something and he’d convinced her to let him feed Joshua that he questioned her again over her appearance in the square.

“Things didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped,” Julia admitted between spoonfuls of stew.

Erasmus raised an eyebrow at her, expressing his sarcastic surprise eloquently. She grimaced and dropped the spoon back into the bowl, leaning back in the chair with a sigh.

“Fine. Look, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know but you have to understand that it could make you a target too. I don’t yet know what we’re facing.” Julia did her best to warn him.

Erasmus smiled an easy, lazy grin.

“Julia, do I look like I’m worried about the amount of negative attention I attract? Start at the beginning, tell me everything you can.”

He hadn’t let her down so far, hadn’t pried into her business until she needed him, had protected her and Joshua. With a deep breath to calm her rattling nerves, Julia began to tell Erasmus about the night that Joshua was born.

“He did  _ what _ ?!” Erasmus hissed in a barely controlled whisper.

Julia glanced at Joshua, checking that the outburst hadn’t woken him.

“He sent a message to the Inquisition, telling them that the prophecy child has been born and is in Neath.” Julia clarified, still struggling to believe how poorly placed her trust had been.

Erasmus’ jaw clenched so hard that she fancied she could hear his teeth creaking in his skull.

“That slimy, disgusting  _ bastard _ .” Erasmus spat out, his entire face displaying his visceral reaction. “We need to get you out of here as soon as possible, then. The messenger will have gone east, I think our best bet is to go north as far as we can. I can have Belle ready in about an hour and we-”

Julia stilled him with a hand on his forearm.

“Erasmus, I thank you, but you don’t need to do any of this. I can’t ask this of you.” Julia finally allowed herself to acknowledge the enormity of the commitment that Joshua represented. “I can’t ask you to give up your safety, your life, for something that could last years.”

The look that Erasmus gave her was heartbreaking in its earnestness.

“You aren’t asking, I’m offering.” He nodded towards where Joshua slept in his arms, cradled comfortably. “This little man is important, even as nothing more than an innocent child born into difficult circumstances. He deserves all the help he can get.”

Something in his tone, in the shadows of his face, spoke to her of a life devoid of kindness thrust upon a heart that craved it. He needed this for himself, to know that he was still capable of morality and softness after all that the world had put him through. Julia found herself nodding.

“Understand that I can’t offer you payment. I have nothing.” She bit back the warning that payment in flesh wasn’t an option, knowing he might take offence and had only been a respectful travel companion thus far.

He took on an air of mock affront, comically overreacting to her insinuation that he would require compensation of any kind.

“Miss Julia!” He said in a gasping falsetto. “I am  _ shocked _ to my very core that you would even feel the need to state such a thing!”

Unable to help herself, she dissolved into giggles and tried to muffle them in her hands. Erasmus treated her to a dazzling smile that crinkled his kind eyes. The dying ember of hope began to glow a little brighter, catching the kindling Erasmus had provided.

The inn door flew open, slamming against the wall as William hurried in looking about the place in a frenzy. Julia felt the blood drain from her face and immediately moved to take Joshua back from Erasmus.

“That’s him, that’s the priest who betrayed us!” She hissed under her breath as she tucked Joshua back into the sling. “What can he want?”

With nowhere to hide, William spotted them almost immediately. Erasmus was on his feet in a flash, blocking access to Julia with his body. She froze with fear as soon as William took a step towards them, helpless but to watch.

“Oh, Julia, I’m so glad I found you!” William cried, his hands clutched before his chest. He tried to duck around Erasmus, apparently confusing the obstruction for inconvenience. “Sir, please step aside. I have business with that young woman.”

Erasmus growled and bared his teeth, using his superior height to back William into a wall without touching him.

“I don’t think you do, priest.” Erasmus lowered his voice into a threatening snarl. “Move along.”

Confusion warred with indignant displeasure as William processed the unexpected turn of events.

“I really must speak with her. I have no quarrel with you.”

As if a spell had been lifted, Julia came back to herself and tore her attention away from the confrontation unfolding before her. She stuffed Joshua’s feeder back into her pack and slung it over her shoulder, checking around for anything else she might have missed. Her escape was blocked by William and Erasmus, still arguing, but Erasmus was pressing forward, opening a space behind him that she could squeeze through.

She was almost through the slim gap, her eyes fixed on the still-open door when a hand closed around her wrist. William’s hand held her firmly but not painfully, she traced his arm with her gaze until their eyes met. The look of pleading and misery surprised her more than she wanted to admit.

“Don’t touch her. You need to leave.” Erasmus laid his hand on William’s arm and made to pull him away.

Warmth flooded from Julia’s wrist where William’s fingers held her, so distinct and unexpected that she gasped out loud. It filled her body and soothed her racing heart, infusing her with a sense of peace and rightness. A glance at Erasmus told her that he was feeling something similar, his face slack and devoid of his habitual worry lines.

“Wha- What is that?” William stuttered, either unwilling or unable to release his grip on Julia. “Do you feel it?”

“Warmth and comfort,” Erasmus muttered, looking lost. “Like I’ve found something I needed.”

Julia shook her head, searching for the right words.

“It’s more like something’s found me.”

William’s soft gasp told Julia that she’d hit her mark. Erasmus dropped his hand and the feeling faded immediately, leaving her feeling a little more hollow than she had before. Checking on Joshua quickly, she found him looking up at her with unexpectedly wise eyes.

After taking a moment to shake off the haze that had settled on her, Julia touched Erasmus on the arm to get his attention.

“We still need to move as soon as we can. I can help you get Belle ready while we hear what the priest has to say.” There was a pleading edge to her voice that she hadn’t intended, but it appeared to work.

“Fine, yes. Let’s get started. Stay here while I settle things with the landlord and grab my belongings from upstairs.” Erasmus seemed to come to life all at once, suddenly motivated into action. “Priest, I don’t trust you. You’re staying with me.”

Erasmus stalked towards the bar, dragging William behind him by a fistful of his tunic.

“Sir, I don’t even  _ know _ you. Unhand me!” William protested ineffectually.

Julia looked on, doubting the wisdom of any plan of action involving spending time with these two ill-suited men.

Minutes later, Erasmus returned with a bag slung over his shoulder and William following, looking far more composed and compliant than he had when he’d been forced upstairs. Together, they traipsed out to the stables to be greeted by a loud whinny and the sudden appearance of Belle’s large chestnut head over her stall door. Julia’s heart lifted at the sight of her and she rushed over to stroke the soft ears that were lowered for her to reach.

Erasmus busied himself with checking over the tack while Julia greeted Belle; William hovered on the edge of the group, uncertainty pouring off him. Julia felt his approach more than she heard him, and as soon as he was within reach, Belle’s ears pressed down to her skull and her eyes widened in warning.

“Ssh, sweet girl. It’s alright.” Julia soothed her before turning to William. “What do you have to say for yourself, then?”

William took half a step closer and received a sharp nip on the arm from a visibly agitated Belle.

“Belladonna! No biting!” Erasmus called from across the stable yard as William yelped and jumped back.

Belle stamped a back hoof and put her head between Julia and William, eyeing him warily. Julia had to laugh at the melodrama of it all, and, perhaps, with just a hint of panic as well.

“I wanted to apologise,” William began, cradling his arm and watching Belle. “I realise that I’ve made a terrible mistake, however honest my intentions may have been. The Inquisition are of the Church and the Church is of God. I couldn’t see how they could be wrong.” His eyes grew watery as he revealed the inner turmoil he had been battling. “I see now that Joshua must be kept away from them. They would destroy him and I can’t allow that to happen. Let me come with you. Let me help.”

A snort of derision snapped Julia’s attention from William to Erasmus. He crossed the courtyard with Belle’s harness draped across his arms, a nasty sneer twisting his mouth.

“It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it?” Erasmus motioned for Julia to open the stall door as he spoke, lifting the harness for Belle to put her head through. “Julia came to you for help and you immediately betrayed her. Why did you even warn her? What game are you playing?”

William backed away, pale and frightened, as Belle took slow steps out of the stable, allowing Erasmus to access the straps and buckles of her harness. Neither man nor horse appeared to take their eyes off William as he stuttered through aborted answers. Julia almost felt sorry for him.

“What do you want?” she asked, finally.

“I have to keep my oath, I have to help protect him.” William took a step towards Julia again, perhaps hoping to find her a more receptive audience. Belle stamped a hoof in warning, hard enough to draw sparks from the contact between her shoe and the stone floor. “Sorry, sorry. I know I’ve made a mess of this, but I can help. As soon as I held him, I knew I’d done wrong. We all felt the same thing, back in the inn. I believe we’re meant to do this together.”

“Sit there, don’t move.” Julia pointed towards an upturned bucket and glared until William perched primly on it.

Between the two of them, Julia and Erasmus had Belle ready to take the cart in short order. He slung both their bags into the back of the cart and stood out of sight of William until Julia came to find him.

“I don’t trust him,” Erasmus started. “There could be any number of reasons that he could want to stay near you.”

“You’re right, and I don’t trust him either. Still... my gut tells me that he should come with us.” Julia tried to look apologetic, knowing that she wasn’t making sense.

Erasmus sighed and rubbed his face, wincing when he was too rough with a tender bruise.

“Damn it all, Julia, I wish you hadn’t said that. I feel the same. He’s supposed to be with us. Strike me down where I stand if he won’t be more trouble than he’s worth, though.” Erasmus looked resigned.

Julia held up her hand and began listing off rules on her fingers. “We never leave Joshua alone with him. He never goes anywhere without one of us. He’s never the sole watchkeeper.”

“He’s not allowed to feed Joshua.” Erasmus surprised her with his interjection, covering a topic she hadn’t considered.

“Yes, definitely. And we tell each other everything. No secrets.” She saw the fleeting panic that her last demand caused and hated herself for pressing the issue. “We have to be able to trust each other, Erasmus, or I might as well head out on my own.”

He gritted his teeth and grimaced.

“Fine, yes. No secrets. You can count on me.”

Julia knew that she could.

With that decided, she ducked out from behind the cart and called to William, startling him out of his thoughts. Keeping a wide berth around Belle, William crossed the stableyard. Erasmus held out his hand.

“Give me your pack, priest.” He demanded, keeping his hand steady until William complied.

“You’re coming with us, William,” Julia said by way of explanation. “This is Erasmus, we met a few days ago and I trust him, which is more than I can say for you. The horse is Belle, she has proven to be an excellent judge of character so far.”

William’s hand instinctively covered the bite on his arm, glancing back at the currently placid mare at the head of the cart. He looked terrified, entirely out of his depth.

“No one is forcing you to come; quite the opposite, really.” Erasmus sounded sullen as he hefted William’s pack into the back of the cart.

“No, no, I want to. I’m grateful. Truly, I am. This is more than I deserve, I know.”

Julia hushed his babbling with a raised hand.

“We don’t have time for this. We have to leave Neath now.”

The bench at the front of the cart was just wide enough to accommodate the whole party, although Erasmus insisted that Julia sit in the middle so she was the least likely to fall off. Julia was disappointed to find that the warm, loving feeling didn’t take hold again when she was seated between the two men, but even the once had been enough of a sign.

With Erasmus glaring at William, William glaring at Belle, and Joshua asleep in his sling, the group set off from the inn and headed north. A destination would come along, one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it. My novelisation of episode 1. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!


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